Rebirth and Frivolity
by meticulous-magic
Summary: After the war, they return to Hogwarts for one final year. Over the course of the year, changes will be made - both serious and casual - and relationships are formed, unexpectedly. My take on the marriage law and what should have happened. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **After the war, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the Weasley twins return to Hogwarts for one final year. Over the course of the year, changes will be made - both serious and casual - and relationships are formed, unexpectedly. My take on the marriage law and what should have happened. AU. Fred/Hermione.

**Disclaimer: **Everything but the plot is credited to the genius, JK Rowling.

* * *

_It feels good to be back_, Hermione thought. She was seated in the Gryffindor table, sandwiched between her best friends Harry and Ron. Today marks the start of a new chapter in her life, the new era so to speak. As she looked around her, she could not remember a time when the Great Hall was bursting with so much life. Yet she could feel the loss of so many of them from the War. Harry did defeat Voldemort a few months ago, and after a month of grieving, it seemed that people had only one word in mind: rebirth. The spark of Diagon Alley was slowly returning, owing to the fact that Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes stepped up their advertising with new products, colourful advertisements and not to mention Fred and George's boisterous personalities, charming their customers to their shop. By the time Hogwarts school lists came out, Diagon Alley was even more magical than Hermione remembered when she passed the brick wall before her first year. The loom and doom of Voldermort's reign no longer resided above people's heads and it was clear that everyone enjoyed their newfound freedom.

So here Hermione was, an eighth year student in Hogwarts, watching the new first years being sorted to the already existing first year class. She couldn't believe that she was given a chance to finish her last year in Hogwarts. When she received a Hogwarts letter over the summer, stating that those who have missed the previous year's work could come back, she was beyond ecstatic! She was also happy about the fact that Harry and Ron decided to delay their Auror internship just a year longer, in order to enjoy a threat-free year at Hogwarts. Much to her surprise both Fred and George returned to Hogwarts as well!

"To improve our products" George said.

Hermione wasn't naive. She knew the level of intelligence and creativity needed to make joke products such as theirs. The only reason why she was so against it was because she was fulfilling her role as a prefect. Now that she did not hold any sort of authoritative position in school, she could openly appreciate their products - even going so far as to commenting on the ingenuity of some of them. Her favourite product of theirs was the Patented Daydream Charm, and she told them as much. Hermione never understood how one (or two) could manipulate such personal thoughts, molding them into someone's dream.

Her thoughts were interrupted with Professor McGonagall's tapping of her knife against her water goblet. Professor Dumbledore stood up and addressed the Great Hall.

"To our new students, welcome to Hogwarts. To our former students, welcome back. I would like to take this opportunity to remember those who have fallen in the War. Both sides had casualties and I would like to respect the memories of those who have sacrificed their lives. If you would be so kind as to please stand and take a minute to pay our respects."

At this, the seats creaked as students of all four houses and the staff stood to honour the memory of those that pass. Hermione was eternally grateful that not one of her close friends were casualties of the War, but that did not stop her from grieving for those that were missing. Just in the vicinity of where she was in the Gryffindor table, she noted Dennis Creevey tearing silently for the loss of his brother.

"Thank you very much, students. Now what better way to start a new beginning of this school year than to let the feast begin!"

It was no surprise that as the food appeared on the table, Ron reached for the nearest turkey leg and dug in.

"Blimey, Ron..." George said. "No wonder Hermione doesn't like you. You eat like a hippogriff!"

"Sod off." Ron said, with mashed potatoes in his mouth. Harry just chuckled at his friend's antics.

Hermione rolled her eyes at their conversation. Ever since that kiss, and the lack of a romantic relationship developing between Ron and Hermione, Fred and George did not stop teasing Ron about why she wasn't his girlfriend. She was tired of explaining herself that she that kiss was spurred on by high stress, adrenaline and raging hormones due to being in close quarters with him and Harry for roughly one year. Besides, she knew that Ron fancied Lavender and knew that she was just as relieved as he was that the kiss didn't mean more.

"Oh let the Hermione-issue go, George. Ron fancies Lavender. I'm sure she won't appreciate the Hermione-comments." Ginny said. Hermione whipped her head up from her plate to look at the girl across her and then at Ron. She looked at him with a quizzical brow, silently asking him how Ginny knew about it. He just shrugged. Ginny saw the exchange between the two of them and decided to enlighten them, "I might have overheard you two talking about it." She added sheepishly.

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You can't blame me! After you told me that you and Ron kissed in the Chamber of Secrets, and nothing happened, it was only natural for me to be curious as to what would happen next." Ginny defended herself, whilst Harry just silently trudged on with his dinner with a smile on his face. No doubt enjoying the banter without worrying about the prophecy and everything else he worried about for the past seven years of his life.

After that, Ginny could hardly get a word out because throughout the entire dinner, Fred and George talked over her head, discussing their shop - now temporarily run by Verity, while they're at school. Harry fancied himself a silent dinner, while Ron just shoved food in his mouth left and right. Hermione just smiled and daintily sipped pumpkin juice, showing her contentment with her life at that moment. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes would occasionally glance at her from across the table.

* * *

Being a small year group, the eighth years took classes together. Up first on their timetable was Potions. Being the schoolgirl that she was, Hermione arrived first and waited outside the door. Soon after, the eighth years start coming in. First to come after Hermione was the entirety of the Slytherin eighth year, consisting of Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. They all said hi to Hermione, to which she returned the gesture. It seemed that during their younger years, these six Slytherins were mentored in the art of double allegiance, under the skillful Professor Snape. At first, no one believed their true allegiance, as they treated Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors poorly, however under the influence of Veritaserum they were all proven innocent. Having said that, by no means were the Gryffindors and Slytherins immediate friends, but they were slowly but surely building their friendships.

Next to come was Harry and Ron with Fred and George, having all come from the boys' dormitory. She, Lavender and the four boys were the only ones from Gryffindor that came back for another year. Then came the Ravenclaw crowd, Lisa Turpin, Terry Boot, Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein. And lastly, the Hufflepuffs came, consisting of Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones and Ernie Mcmillan. Lavender was with the Hufflepuffs unsurprisingly because Hermione knew that at night, Lavender sneaks out of the girls' dormitory when she thinks that Hermione is asleep. She would go to the Hufflepuff girls' dormitory ever since they were in their sixth year. Hermione was not the least bit insulted this year since she never liked Lavender and her shallow personality. Besides Hermione had the whole girls' dormitory to herself, she couldn't complain.

The door to the Potions classroom opened and out came Professor Snape. Due to his proven innocence, Professor Snape came back to resume his teaching post while Professor Slughorn went back into retirement, having not been able to handle the stresses of teaching for two years.

"You will enter the classroom and sit accordingly." The students all looked at each other, baffled by this introduction. Upon entering the classroom, they realised why: assigned seating. "Professor Dumbledore has asked all the staff to promote house unity and by doing so, I have assigned your seats according to your ability. This is first and foremost, your Potion NEWT class and I will not tolerate any mistakes that some of your previous peers have made." At this, Professor Snape looked over at the Gryffindors, undoubtedly thinking of the mishaps that Neville Longbottom has made. Hermione made her way over to the desk, finding out that her partner was Draco Malfoy. She was not surprised by this, as she knew that Malfoy was always the second in their year after her.

"Hi Hermione." Draco said as he took a seat next to her.

"Hi Draco. How's your summer been?"

"Surprisingly, it's been the greatest I've had."

"Good for you, Draco."

"Ingredients and instructions are on the board. You have an hour and thirty minutes to produce a potion, complete with a sample in the flask provided. You may begin." Professor Snape's instructions interrupted Hermione and Draco's conversation. Upon silent agreement, Hermione worked on heating the cauldron and collecting the necessary equipment while Draco went to collect the ingredients. On the next table over, Hermione saw that Fred was heating the cauldron as well. Somehow, it was still a bit surreal for her to attend classes with the Weasley twins. They had always been two years ahead of her in Hogwarts and before today, had never been in any classes with them and thus could not imagine them in a classroom setting. Now that she was given the opportunity to do so, she took her time. He was bent over the cauldron, with his long hair shielding his eyes from seeing her, but in spite of that she knew that he was completely focused on his task if only for his tongue peeking through the side of his mouth. She was impressed with him. _They must be taking this school thing seriously_, she thought because otherwise they would be pulling pranks left and right. Hermione's gaze drifted to his arms. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, his robe discarded and his top button undone. The way he was bent over his cauldron forced Hermione to see Fred in a different light. His shirt would tighten at the slightest movement, giving Hermione a view of his taut muscles. She could not help but compare him to Ron. Ron was gangly and overwhelmingly tall, easily making him the tallest Weasley. Fred, though shorter, seemed to be the _most_ well proportioned Weasley brother now that Hermione came to think about it. His weight and muscle seemed to be proportioned to his height - not too muscly, nor too thin. It was clear that Fred was more athletic of the twins, as George was more like Ron. It was a subtle difference between the two, yet Hermione realised that she would now never mistake them for each other. She did not know how long she stared at Fred, but she blushed a furious red when Fred looked up and straight at her. She quickly turned back to her workstation, just as Malfoy was heading back.

"Granger, you alright there? You seem to have some colour to your face."

"I'm fine Draco, thanks." Hermione's hands immediately went to her cheeks to somehow soothe the blush. For some reason, she couldn't get that mental image out of her head. She couldn't even concentrate on the potion. Luckily Malfoy could sense that she wasn't focused and took over the potion making, guiding Hermione when Professor Snape passed by their table. Towards the end of the lesson, Hermione unwillingly took another peek at Fred and George's table, only to find that Fred looked up just at the exact moment she looked at him. She paled, and he just gave her a quirky smile then went back to his work.

_Fred Weasley, you will be the death of me_, Hermione thought.


	2. Chapter 2

After classes that day, Hermione rushed off to the library to catch up on her work. Throughout the entire day, Hermione could not focus on anything but Fred during Potions. She didn't understand why she was feeling, dare she say it, some sort of _attraction_ to Fred Weasley but she was not going to let those feelings stop her from getting the best grades possible. By the start of dinner, Hermione was finally satisfied that she covered all the topics that were taught to her today - having gone over the potion thrice. She headed back to the dormitory to drop off her book bag. As she stepped through the hole, she saw Fred and George selling their Skiving Snackboxes to the little first years who looked up to the twins as their idols. Fred and George saw her walk through the hole and waved maniacally to her. She halfheartedly returned the greeting. _No doubt, they're enjoying selling their products without having me to stop them_, she thought. Hermione simply rushed up to the girls' dormitory to find herself bumping into Ginny just past the threshold of her room.

"Hermione! I've been looking for you, I was just abou-... Hang on, why are you in such a rush?"

"I'm not in a good mood, Ginny."

"Okay something's definitely up." Ginny pulled Hermione to the nearest bed, which happened to be Hermione's, and sat her down. "Okay, so spill."

"What is there to spill Ginny?" Hermione rubbed her face out of tiredness and collapsed on her bed, without bothering to remove her shoes.

"First of all, you don't say my name twice in a row. That means you're irritated at something or someone. Secondly, you're Hermione Granger. Since when do you lie down on your bed with your shoes on? But more importantly, I'm your best friend. I know when something's bothering you." Hermione softened up at this, knowing that all that Ginny was trying to do was help her. She sat up and mentally prepared herself for the onslaught of questions that will no doubt come after she told Ginny what was on her mind. She knew that it would be difficult telling her her problem, considering she was Fred's sister, but she knew that Ginny would be more hurt if she kept something from her. They were practically sisters, so Ginny would know instantly if Hermione was keeping anything from her. She took a deep breath and began.

"Ginny, I want you to know how uncomfortable I feel with telling you all this. And also, I want you to know that what I'm about to tell you is strictly between the two of us. You cannot tell anyone." Ginny nodded. Hermione took another deep breath and closed her eyes, then opened them as she continued. "Today in Potions, Professor Snape paired us as part of this house unity thing that Professor Dumbledore wanted. I got paired with Draco and our table was right next Fred and George..." Hermione hesitated with the next part, not knowing how what she was about to say, will sit with Ginny. But she looked at her only female best friend and saw nothing but trust and understanding. That gave her the confidence to trudge on. "Draco got the ingredients and so did George. I turned towards your brothers' table, and I was just looking at Fred. I just thought... I mean... I don't know what came over me! Suddenly I was just looking at Fred, and then the next minute I was _looking_ at Fred. You know what I mean? I noticed every little thing about him. His body, everything!" At this point, Hermione didn't care what she was saying. She was on a roll. "I started to compare Fred and Ron. Then Fred and George, then I just completely lost it! I felt this weird, sort of pull towards Fred. I mean, I never looked at any of your brothers in _that_ way before. Then all of a sudden, I imagined myself with Fred. It's stupid, I know. But at that moment, just at that particular moment, it was as if I _wanted_ to be Fred's girlfriend. I didn't know how long I was looking at Fred, but then it got to the point that he looked at me, and of course I looked away. I could feel the blush creeping up my neck and I didn't like it one bit! What's even more shocking is that I couldn't even focus after that. I think Draco knew that something was wrong with me, but didn't mention it. It's unlike me, Ginny, and it's been bothering me cause I control this.. this.. thing that I have. It's definitely not a crush, because it's.. it's.. illogical! Fred and I have never spent enough time together, to the point to allow me to develop feelings for him. All day long, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what this means, and I think I've figured it out. But I'm still sifting through the pros and cons. I think that this thing I have with Fred is just.. loneliness you know? I mean, everyone had plans for Ron and I to get married and have a dozen kids, but it's not happening. I guess in my mind, it was _like_ I was with him already. Now that he's got Lavender, I'm left out in the open. Yeah... Yeah that's it. That's definitely it! No more pros and cons. I'm just.. lonely!" Hermione was getting more excited as she came to the realisation that she was just lonely. Ginny reached forward and put her hand on top of Hermione's.

"Hermione... you know that it's okay to like Fred, right?" She was looking at Hermione like she would if she were talking to someone in denial.

"Of course I know it's okay. I'm just saying that I don't like him" Hermione was smiling at this point, satisfied with herself.

"Okay Hermione, but just so you know don't hesitate to talk to me if you do end up liking Fred. He's my brother and all but you're my best friend. I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything."

"Thank you Ginny, I do appreciate all this. But believe me, I do not like Fred."

* * *

A month has passed since Hermione's "lapse in judgment", or so she called it, and since then she has not felt similar feelings towards Fred. She, like Harry and Ron, simply spent time with them as much as they did with Ginny. Frankly Hermione was impressed that they spent so much time together as a group, but she realised how serious the twins were about their business and how they wanted to succeed. During dinner one night, Professor McGonagall called the attention of the students. Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"Good evening students, before you tuck in I would just like to ask the seventh and eighth years to stay behind after supper. Thank you." With that, normal conversation continued. However the seventh and eighth years were starting new conversations.

"What do you suppose he has to tell us?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. Probably something to do with house unity and all that." Ron replied. They all laughed with this, knowing that Dumbledore was a huge fan of presenting the students with not so enjoyable activities that promoted house unity.

After dinner, all seventh and eighth years remained in their seats, while waiting for the other students to leave the Great Hall. Once the necessary students remained, Professor Dumbledore encouraged the students to occupy as much of the front areas of the four tables, regardless of house. "Students, you may or may not be aware that due to the number of casualties in the war, the wizarding population has severely decreased. The Ministry is worried that due to this decrease, the pattern would continue until wizards and witches will cease to exist. I hold this meeting tonight to inform you that tomorrow, you will all receive letters from the Ministry informing you of the newly passed Marriage Law. Now-"

"What!"

"That's rubbish!"

"How could they do that to us?" Everyone was expressing their disbelief and obvious opinion against this new rule.

"QUIET. Please. As I was saying, I understand that this is a cause for concern however the rest of the staff and myself are all here to help you with any of your needs. Your parents have all been sent a letter from the school, letting them know of this new development. Naturally, I have already received a few Howlers, but like I ensured them, I ensure you that I have consulted the Ministry with this matter and have vied against many clauses on your behalf, such as the requirement to produce an heir within the first year-"

A collective "WHAT!" echoed throughout the hall.

"Again, I assure you that that clause has been altered. Yes you will need to produce an heir but not until after your 5th wedding anniversary. Now, I am sure that I have given you plenty food for thought so this will be all for tonight. Following your letter, the staff and I agreed that it would be best for you to be given a week off from school in order to settle things. That is why you resume classes next Tuesday. We will meet again after breakfast tomorrow morning. By then you will all have gotten your letters and we can discuss further action. Thank you."

For a good half a minute, nobody spoke and nobody moved from their seats. Everyone was still reeling from the shock of the situation.

"And here I was thinking that I could actually _enjoy_ one _uneventful_ year and just do normal things. But hey, at least we got out of classes for a week." Said Harry. Everyone agreed with his sentiments and slowly got up out of the table and walked solemnly to their respective dormitories. They needed all the sleep that they could get because tomorrow morning would change their lives.

* * *

The next morning in the Great Hall was definitely one for the books. The entire hall was significantly quieter, no doubt due to the news that the seventh and eighth year students were about to receive.

"The post!" an innocent first year boy from Hufflepuff excitedly alerted the hall. There was a quiet groan amongst the elder students, as owls of different breeds all flew in carrying identical parchment envelops with emerald seals. One by one, they dropped their parcels onto the students and nipped some treats before they flew away. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George all just stared into their envelopes, hoping that they could burn it with their fiery gaze. Hermione decided to be the first one to bite the bullet. She carefully tore off the seal and shakily pulled out the letter. It said,

"_Dear Miss Hermione Granger, _

_Greetings from the Ministry! We hope that this letter finds you well and in good health. _

_Recently, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a marriage law in order to protect and preserve the wizarding population. Due to unfortunate circumstances, our population has significantly decreased within the last five years and statistics have predicted that should this pattern continue, the wizarding world will no longer exist. Several meetings with certain persons of authority have resulted in such a law that will hopefully be to your preference, as much as this law has inconvenienced you. This law affects both witches and wizards of the age range 17-40. _

_The council of this law has seen to it to match you with a wizard of a similar age in the hopes of making this marriage successful. Your match was based on several aspects that we will gladly inform you of should you write to us requesting to know such details. There are several conditions to which this law has to be met. Firstly, you and your match must be wed within seven months upon receiving this letter, in which the wedding must be presided by a Ministry ordained minister. In addition you must present the Ministry with a date of your wedding, no less than one month before the wedding is to happen. Subsequently, you and your match must conceive an heir within five years of your marriage. These clauses are the only requirements of the law, as the purpose is to ensure that the wizarding population does not remain stagnant or decrease. _

_As you are a Hogwarts student, and thus somewhat seen as a minor, your parents or guardian/s have been notified of this law. In addition to this, because you are still a pupil you will be granted leave time, as deemed necessary by the headmaster or headmistress of Hogwarts. Leave time, however, is strictly not granted during your NEWT examinations. _

_Your match is: Mr. Fred Weasley. _

_Thank you very much for your understanding Miss Granger, and we look forward to hearing from you soon. _

_Kingsley Shacklebot, _

_Minister of Magic, _

_Ministry of Magic"_

Hermione paled at that sentence, "_Your match is: Mr. Fred Weasley."_ After all that stress on that one day, it has come to this. She looked up at him, across the table, to see him looking back at her with the same reaction: well-masked shock. She quickly looked away and focused on the others. In fact, Harry, Ron, Ginny and George had that same look of shock on their faces, although not as subtle. Slowly they all put down their letters and looked at each other.

"Who did you guys get?" Hermione quietly asked.

"Lavender Brown". Ron look of shock quickly changed. After he said her name out loud, Ron realised that he would marry the girl of his dreams and immediately had a smile on his face.

"I got Pansy Parkinson." muttered Harry. Before anyone else had time to dwell on the surprising match, Ginny mentioned her match. "Well, it seems as if I'm not the only one that got a Slytherin. I got Draco Malfoy." Ron's face quickly changed back to a look of shock, only this time it was mixed with disgust and anger. "The ferret?" Ginny slapped him on the arm and before Hermione had the chance to scold him for insulting their _friend_, George beat her to it.

"Oi! Don't talk about our future brother-in-law like that! Besides, wanna hear mine? I got Angelina Johnson."

"Well finally, George, seems as if you don't have to ask her out. The Ministry did it for you!" Harry joked, receiving a flick on his ear from said twin. "Who did you get, my other half, or soon to be my other quarter?"

Fred mumbled. "I'm sorry, didn't quite catch that." said George.

Fred took a deep breath and looked straight at her. "Hermione." Ron's fork clattered to his plate and made a big show of swiveling round to look at her. Hermione nodded and looked back at Fred. This was the first time that she really _looked_ at him since that day in Potions. Their gazes on each other did not break until Ginny ran to the other side of the table and hugged Hermione. "I'm so glad that you'll officially be my sister!" Hermione returned the hug as best as she can. Fred gives Hermione a small smile, and Hermione smiles back, thinking, _I don't think that this will be bad at all. _

They continued to smile at each other until Professor McGonagall tapped her knife. "Seventh and eight years, will you remain behind after breakfast again please? Thank you."

Once the other students left for classes, the seventh and eighth years stood up and moved to the front of the hall. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall also stood up from the staff table and walked towards the students with a pile of papers levitating behind them. "Now students, I assume that you have all read your letters and have had a few minutes to mull over your matches and the clauses presented to you. Professor McGonagall will now hand you some paper for you to write who your match is. Once you are done writing his or her name, the parchment will vanish and we'll go on from there." Hermione was able to write down Fred's name quickly since she always had a quill and a bottle of ink handy. She passed the quill around until their parchments vanished. Both professors looked at their matches, discussed something amongst themselves before returning their attention to the students.

"Luckily enough, it seems that most of your matches are amongst each other as peers. With the exception of Mr. George Weasley, all of you are matched with someone in this castle. Both Professor McGonagall and I agree that in order to have a successful marriage, both partners must be able to cohabit with each other and be amiable with one another. With this, we have decided to alter your living arrangements in order to aid you to get to know your partner better and in close quarters. But before we decide your living arrangements, you must meet up with your partner and discuss whom you would want to live with in your flat. Write down the names of 4 other couples, as well as your names, on the pieces of paper in front of you. Once you have filled in that form, the parchment will disappear and you are free to do so as you wish - preferably with your match so that you can take the time to get to know each other. After lunch, you will remain behind again and be given directions to your new living quarters. Carry on!"

Fred and Hermione stood up and approached each other. For once, Hermione saw him actually look nervous about something.

"Fred?"

"Yeah?"

"Will things be awkward between us?"

"I bloody well hope not." They both laughed at his comment, and just like that things were okay.

"Good, because I don't think I could handle us being awkward."

"Definitely."

"So.. living arrangements?"

"About that..." Fred scratched the back of his neck but Hermione eased his worries.

"George is definitely staying with us." Fred smiled and sighed with relief at that. "I'm not going to separate you two just cause we're getting married. I mean, he's your twin and one of my best friends. Speaking of which, I'm guessing we'll ask for Harry and Pansy, Ron and Lavender, Ginny and Draco, you and I and George?"

"That's my witch! Reading my mind even when we're not married." Fred's funny antics surfaced, as he towered over Hermione and smothered her with a hug. "Fred! I need to fill in the form!" Fred let go of her and they both headed off to the nearest table to write down the names. As they sat down, Fred slung his arm over Hermione's shoulder. Hermione tensed for a moment and Fred realised this so he slowly pulled away his arm. But Hermione thought of the gesture as something that Fred did in order to transition their friendship into something more, so she put her hand over his and entwined their fingers while she wrote their names. Unbeknownst to each other, they both smiled to themselves.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oi! Where have you been?" Both Ginny and Hermione had to slightly dodge the pieces of food that were spraying from Ron's mouth.

"Well if you must know, Ronniekins, McGonagall gave me permission to meet up with Angelina. Naturally, I chose the shop." George was walking towards the group in the Gryffindor table and sat down.

"How's the shop doing without our brilliant selves?"

"Decent. Verity's been doing okay. Clumsy as Tonks sometimes, but she manages. By the way speaking of Verity, she's matched with Lee." George said nonchalantly.

"Lee?" Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Fred all asked, with absolute shock on their faces. Ron just kept shoveling food down his mouth, oblivious to the others' conversation.

"Yeah, about bloody time if you ask me. Verity's been hounding Gred and I to 'please, please, please talk to him about me, he's your best friend!'" George's shrill imitation of Verity sent them into hysterics. Fred nodded remembering the countless of times when Verity would ask the twins to set them up. He couldn't believe her luck, though silently wished her all the best since he knew that she really had strong feelings for the bloke. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Lee felt something for their blonde employee.

They continued with lunch, Ron surfacing every now and then to laugh at something the twins or Harry would say and each time showering the girls with little morsels of food, as they were unfortunately across him. Ginny threatened him with the prospect of telling Mrs. Weasley if he didn't show any semblance of table manners. Needless to say, Ron kept to himself. Not too long after that, Professor McGonagall went around the table with small envelopes, handing one to each of them. "Here are directions to your new living quarters. I ask that you make your way there once you have finished eating. You have until dinnertime to sort yourselves out. Have a good day."

Fred, who was seated next to Hermione, didn't bother opening his envelope knowing very well that Hermione was going to open hers the minute Professor McGonagall left. True enough, she was the first one to open her envelope.

_5th floor, West Tower. The portrait is of a knight on a horse. Password is 'Marauders'_

Hermione handed the piece of parchment over to Fred before she asked, "We got the 5th floor in the West Tower". Much to her surprise, everyone else got the echoed back the same address. She immediately looked over to Harry, knowing very well that the password was to honour his father and his friends' memories. He had a small smile on his face and shared that smile with Hermione. He knew that only she would understand how much that meant to him - how much having anything of his parents close to his heart would mean the world to him. Hermione couldn't help but keep on smiling since she was looking forward to spending time with them, in the privacy of their own flat. She knew that because they were such a close group, things would work out well. If only she could say the same for the Slytherins that would be living with them..

* * *

Once they reached the portrait of the knight in the 5th floor of the West Tower, they found themselves unable to get in their flat.

"I have been instructed to allow the nine people that are to live in these quarters in at the same time. Professor McGonagall wanted to ensure that all parties be given the same chance to alter anything inside." What the knight said was fair, but that did nothing to quell their excitement at seeing their new home for the next year. Draco and Pansy came strolling in the corridor not too long after they arrived. They were relieved that the two Slytherins were there so soon, but they knew that Lavender was another story. Draco got along relatively well with the group, making small talk here and there however Pansy kept mostly to the sides of Harry and Draco, quite obviously not knowing where she stood with the rest of them. True, the animosity between the two rival houses was diminished but that did not stop Pansy from being cautious whenever she was with the Gryffindors. Hermione noticed Pansy's uncomfortable stance and made a mental note to fix that. Not only would they be living in close quarters, but as Harry's future wife, Hermione thought it best to make her feel welcome. _Plus it never hurts to have more girlfriends_, she thought. Ten minutes have passed and Lavender hadn't shown up yet. The group was starting to get antsy and tempers were rising because they were just standing, idly waiting for just one person for too long.

"Ron, where's Lavender?"

"How am I supposed to know, Harry? It's not as if we're together you know." At this, everyone gave him pointed looks. "Well.. okay.. but that doesn't mean I have a tracking charm on her or something!" Ron grumbled and turned his body away from the group, obviously not appreciating the dirty looks he was getting for his fiance's tardiness. Luckily for Ron, it was not too long after that Lavender came sauntering to them, without a care in the world. "Hey everyone!" Only a few grumbled their replies, with George not bothering to grace her presence with a reply. Draco just had about enough of her and said "Can we _finally _go inside now?" Ron glared at Draco for his sarcastic tone. Draco merely rolled his eyes at the redhead, knowing very well that in his eyes, Lavender could do no wrong. Sensing a fight between Ron's temper and Draco's unwillingness to back down when provoked, Harry stepped forward to the portrait and gave the password, "Marauders". The knight bowed to them and the portrait slid aside to reveal an entryway to their flat. The minute everyone stepped through, a moment of silence dawned on the group.

The setup of their flat was more than they could ask for. The living room was the first thing they saw when they stepped through the portrait. High ceilings and two picture windows that covered an entire wall were to their left, giving them the perfect view of the Black Lake and the greenery where people frequented to relax. Cream coloured couches adorned the living area, with olive green shams and pillows, and emerald coloured throws over the backs the couches. A coffee table with a cherry wood finish lay in between the couches, big enough for all nine of them to sit around and relax. Right across the couches was a fireplace, already lit with a crackling fire, topped with an ornate mantle just begging to be filled with picture frames and stockings for the holiday season. Further along the flat was the kitchenette area, complete with a table for nine, a fridge, a stove and countertops for making tea or making whatever they please. Behind the living room area were two floors of bedrooms. Both the Gryffindors and Slytherins seemed to approve of their new area because everyone seemed to have a small smile on their faces. A long, narrow table behind one of the couches revealed an envelope addressed to all of them. Since George was the nearest, he picked it up and read,

"_To the residents of these quarters, _

_I hope that you find your living arrangements to your liking. Although the kitchen are is readily available to you, you are still required to be present for mealtimes in the Great Hall for at least two meals everyday. There are 5 rooms in your flat. You may choose whatever room you prefer however you must know that your room is charmed. When you and your future spouse enter your preferred room, the room will charm itself to be decorated in such a style that suits the both of you. You will have the entire afternoon to relax and get a feel of your surroundings. I will be expecting to see you all in the Great Hall tonight for dinner. Have a pleasant afternoon._

_Professor McGonagall"_

Not long after George read the letter out loud, they all rushed to their new rooms. Ron, Lavender, Harry, Pansy and George all had rooms on the lower level while the rest had theirs upstairs. After Fred spoke to George for a bit, he went up to the second floor, only to see Hermione waiting outside one of the doors. Fred knew why she waited outside for him.

"You know, you could have just gone in and I would have followed."

"I know, but then Professor McGonagall said that the room changes to fit who enters the room first. What would you think when you enter the room and found pink walls?"

"First of all Granger, I'm sure that the minute I walked through the doors, my preference for home decor would have been taken into account. And secondly, I'm pretty sure that you, yourself, are not a fan of pink. So I have nothing to worry about."

"But - "

"You're delaying, Granger. Come on, let's spiff up the place with shelves for trickery!" Hermione's look of horror was bordering on comical, as she felt Fred pull her into their room, stepping over the threshold together.

Immediately the room made its changes. From plain white walls to taupe paint covering three of the four walls. Both Fred and Hermione were pleasantly surprised with the fourth wall: chalkboard. It made sense that they had such a wall because Fred could easily use it for ideas for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, while Hermione could use it for her intelligent musings. To complement the colour of their walls, all their furniture was finished with a dark wood stain. Their room consisted of a queen-sized bed with cream sheets, two desks, a fairly large bookcase, a bureau and two doors leading to their closet and an en-suite bathroom. Hermione held her breath, waiting for more changes as she knew that Fred's personality did not leave room for such a subdued coloured environment. True enough, splashes of teal, green and orange suddenly adorned the walls through various sized squares, randomly spread out. Hermione's mouth fell open.

"Don't look so shocked, Granger. I've got taste. Except of course, the orange. But oh well. Wouldn't be me without it." He gave her a wink and proceeded to inspect the two doors on their right. Because of this, he missed the furious blush that spread through Hermione's cheeks. They spent the next twenty minutes looking through their closet - already seeing their stuff placed in their proper places - and their modest en suite. They had the essentials and the bathroom was by no means extravagant due to the space of their flat. The pair then spent the next two hours visiting the others' rooms and giving compliments where she thought was due. Bias aside, she thought that her and Fred's room was the most balanced one because she figured that they have known each other the longest and thus had no ill feelings or animosity towards her fiance.

_Fiance..._ Hermione thought. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she was going to be married to Fred. She sat down on her chair by her desk thinking about Fred, while he was in George's room - most likely discussing more products. But Hermione could not bring herself to even think about that because she kept replaying the half hour that they spent in their room. Fred was right in thinking that Hermione was shocked about the outcome of their room. At the back of her mind, she always knew that if there were to be a "tamer" Weasley twin, it would be Fred but she could never have guessed that they had more in common than she had ever thought. She shook her head at the direction of her thought process because she tried ever so hard to quell the rapidly growing desire for him. She knew that she would always be attracted to Fred as long as he was around her, but desire for him was unchartered territory. She first felt that desire today when she realised that she would have to sleep in the same bed as him, and share the bathroom with him. Her naughty self was taking over, as her thoughts drifted to a scenario when he would be in the shower while she would be in the room. As it was, she had to cross her legs in order to soothe the steady, pulsating heat that she didn't realise was there until she let out an audible sigh after thinking about a naked Fred in the shower. Unfortunately for Hermione, this was the exact moment that Fred came into the room.

"Did you say something Granger?"

Hermione quickly opened her eyes as she was swiftly reminded that this was _not_ the time for naughty daydreams. "I- I- didn't say anything?" She wanted to smack herself in the forehead for her telling response.

"Are you okay Hermione?" Fred looked concerned and walked towards her. He reached her at her desk and put one hand on the desk and the other behind her on the chair, effectively trapping her right side, bending down just enough so that he was not towering over her. Hermione breathed in sharply because of his close proximity. In doing so, she caught of whiff of Fred's aftershave and she closed her eyes. _He smells so good..._ Hermione was horrified that a small moan escaped her mouth. Though unwilling to face the embarrassment of her actions, she slowly opened her eyes and moved her gaze upwards, hoping for a small miracle that he didn't hear it. Once her eyes met his, she was rooted to her seat as she saw the intense look he was giving back. His normally brown eyes were almost black and he was staring down at her with an almost predatory gleam. Hermione's hormones betrayed her, as she let out another moan, only this time a bit louder since she could physically feel what his intense look did to her. Her already crossed legs were clamped together even further and the movement of her legs cause Fred's gaze to flicker between her eyes, her legs, and the root of all her arousal. Fred leaned down towards Hermione in an excruciatingly slow pace, leaving her plenty time and room should she not want him to continue. Hermione surprised herself by inching her body towards his and tilting her head upwards. She was experienced enough to know what was coming next but _never_ has she felt anything this intense and this.. natural. The closer Fred got, the more she strained herself in meeting him halfway. The smell of his aftershave and something that she could classify as _'just Fred'_ overwhelmed her, causing her breathing to shallow. She licked her lips in anticipation of his inevitable kiss. As the tip of her tongue slowly wet her lips, Fred moaned and she could feel more wetness pool around her nether regions. Just as their lips were about to touch, George sauntered into their room calling Fred's name, causing them to spring apart.

_Holy shit..._ Hermione thought as she tried to get her breathing under control, while Fred turned and gave his twin a glare that was only reserved for when he was seriously angry at him. George was surprised at the anger radiating off his brother, so he decided to look at Hermione and saw her trying to fan herself discreetly. He looked at his brother again and saw that the anger was mixed with frustration and was that.. _lust_?

"Oh I see what's happening here." George just waggled his eyebrows and smirked at them.


	4. Chapter 4

"Get out George." Fred kept his stance by Hermione's desk, only moving his upper body enough to tell his twin to bugger off.

"What? No denials? No "it's not what you think"? I'm genuinely shocked, Fred! And Hermione, I would have thought that you would be the one bossing me around." George was having his share of fun at Fred and Hermione's discomfort, knowing very well that he would be kicked out soon enough.

"Now, George." Fred, still not leaving Hermione's desk, just bared his teeth in frustration. George knew that Fred was being serious but he couldn't help but wonder why Fred wasn't physically pushing him away from their room. Normally, in situations like these, they would physically have to shove the other out so that they could have their right to their privacy. Another one of those disadvantages of being a twin: the need to be by the other's side most of the time. George raised his eyebrow and looked towards Hermione, noting that she was adamantly looking away from Fred with a colour to her cheeks that should have faded by now, unless... Suddenly, George smiled lazily.

"Careful Freddy. People might get offended by you pointing right at them." George smirked and briefly looked down as he motioned towards Fred's current predicament before exiting the room, with the decency of closing the door. If it was possible, Hermione blushed even more while Fred growled under his breath due to his annoyance at his twin.

After a moment has passed, and the awkwardness of George interrupting them over, they both looked at each other through the corners of their eyes. Both seemed to start to make the first movements to diffuse the palpable tension in the room but never seemed to carry the action out in completion. Hermione still had her legs firmly crossed while Fred _clearly_ was still in the same mood prior to George's visit. Hermione had had enough of the awkwardness and decided to take action.

"Oh for goodness sake, Fred." She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Fred and kissed him like they were never interrupted. Fred did not waste time and firmly put his arms around her waist. There was nothing shy about their first kiss as an engaged couple and they certainly did not hold back because not too long after their lips touched, Fred sought entrance to her mouth and Hermione gave it willingly. As soon as their tongues began their timely duel, Hermione moaned as she felt Fred get even harder against her stomach. Hermione was by no means unfamiliar with her sexual side but she could not help but feel so... _wanton_ when she was with Fred. It was like she was this whole other person. She didn't know whether she liked this change in her but at this time, nor did she particularly care because the next thing she did surprised her. She ground herself against his erection and was positively ecstatic with his reaction. He growled at the back of his throat and roughly grabbed her waist and lifted her until she got the hint and wrapped her legs around his waist. Their change in position made them both moan louder as he could feel the warmth and wetness coming from her centre, while the friction from his trousers rubbed against her in most delicious way possible. Fred, while still carrying Hermione, moved them clumsily to the bed for they did not stop their kiss. He laid her down at the edge of the bed, while still keeping their upper bodies together. Fred used his advantage of standing, to thrust into Hermione's core. She roughly broke the kiss and leaned her head back as she moaned deeply at the sensation. Taking that as encouragement, Fred moved his kisses to the side of her mouth all the way to where her neck met her shoulder. He nibbled gently at this junction, causing Hermione to use her crossed ankles to push Fred into her dripping wet pussy. Just as Fred was about to start undoing the buttons of her blouse, they heard a loud crash coming from the common room followed by muffled raised voices. Fred buried his head in her neck as he made a noise out of frustration.

"Today's not our day is it?" he asked.

"I suppose not." Both were breathing heavily from sexual frustration and mild weariness from their interrupted activities. Hermione, still under Fred, decided once again to make the first move. "I think we should go outside and see what all the fuss is about."

"Just... give me a minute." Fred did not move from his position by her neck, as he tried to think of anything else other than what they were just doing. Hermione, empathising with the situation at hand all the while being ever so grateful that she was not a male that had to deal with more obvious physical effects of arousal - ran her hands through Fred's hair. "You know Hermione, that doesn't really help. But it feels good anyway." She could feel his smile against her neck at her gesture and she couldn't help but smile back even though she knew that he couldn't see it. "Well, what do you suggest I do while you try to sort yourself out?" She asked rhetorically. He chuckled as he lifted himself off of her and stood up, holding a hand out to her. She took it and before she could thank him and let go of his hand, he pulled her into a tight hug which she gladly returned. It was a quick hug but it meant the world to the pair, knowing that things were not going to be awkward or change for the worst. As soon as they left each others' arms, Fred opened the door and motioned for Hermione to go ahead with a dramatic bow.

"After you, my lady." Hermione rolled her eyes and giggled just a bit before entering the common room. The sight that met them was not one of unfamiliarity. Ron and Draco were at each other's throats with the usual insults. After doing a quick survey of the room, Hermione deduced that the crash came from a shattered flower vase near Draco's feet. Everyone, sans George, was seated around the duo. No one seemed to have any inclination to stop the quarrel and frankly, neither did Fred or Hermione. They went down the stairs and Fred went to sit near Ron since he knew that his assistance would be needed given Ron's volatile temper, while Hermione sat next to a very distraught Ginny and put her arm around her. Ginny was evidently grateful for Hermione's caring nature as she grabbed Hermione's hand and held on tightly.

"Look Weaselbee, I know that she's your sister but you have got to get it to your thick skull that I didn't ask for this to happen. It's not as if we're the only ones here that have to share a bed!" Draco was red in the face, obviously trying not to fly off the handle when it came to one Ron Weasley. Normally he would not have held his anger back when it came to Ron but seeing as how he was to marry Ginny, he figured that he needed to be the bigger person in this fight, especially since it was not his fault. He wanted people to see that he was not irrational and that he had matured since the end of the war. But more importantly, he wanted Ginny to not be ashamed of becoming the future Mrs. Malfoy. He did not love her at the moment, but with time he knew that he would and to prevent any accusations against him, he picked his fights.

"I don't care, Ferret! Find a way to separate those two beds because there is no chance in hell that I am allowing Ginny to sleep with a Death Eater!"

"Ron!" Both Hermione and Ginny were disgusted with his behaviour since they all agreed that the Slytherins' true loyalties were with the Order, and thought that Ron had accepted the fact. Harry just shook his head while Pansy stayed close to him, with her head down, still mighty uncomfortable with the whole situation. Fred clamped his hand on Ron's shoulder, in an effort to calm him down and hopefully bring him back to reality and not be so anger-driven. Ron just shrugged off his brother's hand and went back to giving Malfoy his fiercest glare. Fred just rolled his eyes at Ron's immaturity but did not leave his spot because knowing Ron, he would do something completely Ron-like and he wanted to be able to stop Ron from lunging at Draco. Lavender was near Ron and everyone could tell that she was proud that her Won Won was being so "heroic", in her sense of the word. She was batting her eyelashes at him and had a wide smile that just about showed everyone how shallow she was.

Although Hermione hadn't been there when the whole fight began - or even for at least half the fight - she decided to take matters into her own hands since it was clear as day who was at fault and who was not. And in addition to that, Ginny was trembling underneath her embrace, from both her fury at Ron and borderline hysteria as to what to do. "Ronald, honestly, you need to calm down! It is what it is, so you would be doing yourself a favour if you accept that soon enough. Ginny and Draco didn't ask to be put together and they are doing the best they can given the situation. In fact, why are you arguing about this? This is something that _they_ should be worried about. Not you, or any of us for that matter. It is _their_ room and _their_ lives! Leave them be." Lavender glared at Hermione, irritated that she had to put a stop to the heroic attitude of Ron. Hermione just rolled her eyes at her petty nature.

"She's _my_ sister, Hermione. As her older brother _I_ get to look out for her. Right now, I see that she's in danger with the ferret of a death eater so I'm only being a proper brother and taking her away from harm." Ron looked content with his argument, as he folded his arms and silently dared her to go against him.

"Tut tut, Ronniekins, I think you forget that I too am her big brother. In fact, I am _your_ older so my word counts more than yours does. So, Ginny, ignore him." Fred actually made a good rebuttal to Ron's argument, using the same immaturity that Ron displayed. Hermione looked at Fred and raised her eyebrows, wondering where he got his logic from. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"You can't be serious, Fred! He's Draco Malfoy! He's been taking the mick out of us since we started Hogwarts. Don't tell me you forgot about that!"

"No, I didn't, Ron. But he's on our side. Don't tell me you forgot about that!" Fred used Ron's words against him. He figured that the only way to get to Ron was to stoop to his level of petty reasoning. Ron just sputtered an attempt to argue back, but since he could not clearly find one, he turned to Lavender.

"Come on, Lav, it's blatantly obvious that no one will see reason. Let's go." He commanded her like he was her boss, and like a lap dog she followed his beck and call. Once they exited their common room, the tension in the air immediately dissipated but there was still an awkward silence. Surprisingly, it was Draco who broke that, with an uncharacteristic show of vulnerability.

"Does - Does that mean you're okay with me and Ginny?" Draco was facing Fred, but could not meet his eyes. Ginny tensed next to Hermione, and gripped her hand harder. Hermione squeezed just as tight back and rubbed Ginny's shoulders, showing strong support. But Hermione was also unsure of how Fred was going to respond. They never really talked about this, nor about the other couples for that matter. She was hoping that things would turn out for the better since there was enough bad air between Ron and Draco.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath waiting for Fred's answer. He just looked at Draco through narrowed eyes and said, "I'm not completely okay with the two of you." Draco's shoulders seemed to sag a bit at this while Ginny put her face in her hands. "But, that does not mean that I'm closed off to the idea of you two together. I know that you fought for our side, Malfoy, but that doesn't erase what you've done to her, or to all of us for that matter. I'm just saying that it will take time, but I do accept you. Not to mention the fact that no one will ever be enough for my sister."

Draco just nodded at Fred and brought his hand out, showing that he accepted what Fred said and has made a silent promise to take care of Ginny. Fred looked at his outstretched hand for a moment then shook it. Harry and Pansy smiled at this. Harry because any form of peace after the war meant a lot to him since he certainly did not want another war to brew. And Pansy because she was happy to see Draco being accepted, not to mention it gave her a shimmer of hope that she too will be accepted like he was. Both Hermione and Ginny had tears in their eyes for they were touched by Fred's unusual seriousness. Ginny ran up to give Fred a fierce hug to which he returned with equal fervor. It was such a sweet family moment that it brought more tears to Hermione's eyes. In that moment, any inkling of a doubt she had with her pairing with Fred, flew out the window. She knew that he would never let go of his prankster side, but it was moments like this one that she knew that there was more to Fred than meets the eye. She thought herself to be extremely lucky that she was the one that would be able to see more of this Fred.

"Hermione, you okay there?" Fred was all of a sudden right next to her on the couch. She blinked out of her thoughts and looked around her, only to find that everyone seemed to have gone elsewhere. She focused her gaze back to Fred next to her. She put her hand on his cheek and leaned in slowly to give him a quick kiss.

"What was that for? Not that I didn't enjoy it, mind you."

"For being great throughout this whole thing."

"You sound surprised Granger. Why? Was it because you thought I was all jokes and pranks?" Fred laughed a bit, knowing very well that that was people thought of him and George all the time.

She blushed a light pink because she could not deny that she thought of that. "No.. Well, yes, but I didn't think it would be you to diffuse Ron's anger. I thought it would have had to be me or Harry."

"Ah. Well, with dear Ronniekins, it doesn't help to be the bigger person. He only understands his own immature logic. Not to mention, he had to please his darling Lav Lav." He gave an over-exaggerated imitation of Lavender's awe of Ron, to Hermione. Hermione giggled and slapped his shoulder. "What? No telling me off? My, my, Granger, what has the world come to? Alert the Prophet! "Ms. Hermione 'Know-It-All' Granger refrains from scolding". That would sell millions. Can you imagine how many galleons the Prophet would rake in with that issue?"

"Oh shut it, Fred!" Hermione couldn't help but laugh along with him, completely ignoring the fact that he called her a know-it-all.

* * *

First of all, just a quick note. I know that some characters may be non-canon at this point, but I hope that this change is a good one. I felt that I needed to change some of their personalities in order for this story to flow well.

Secondly, thank you to my lovely readers who have put me and this story on their favourites and alerts! I'm genuinely surprised at the sheer amount of you who have taken the time to do so, along with writing encouraging reviews, and for that I could not thank you enough. It has certainly motivated me to update this story faster and think of captivating plot lines! But of course, as this entire story is not written out yet, I am flexible and open to any and all ideas for stories and plot lines. Let me know what YOU want to read! x


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